molest any of the inmates, or carry off any chattels, during the absence
of John Ridd upon a special errand. This document was signed not only
by the Counsellor, but by many other Doones: whether Carver's name were
there, I could not say for certain; as of course he would not sign it
under his name of "Carver," and I had never heard Lorna say to what (if
any) he had been baptized.

In the face of such a deed as this, I could no longer refuse to go; and
having received my promise, Annie told me (as was only fair) how she had
procured that paper. It was both a clever and courageous act; and would
have seemed to me, at first sight, far beyond Annie's power. But none
may gauge a woman's power, when her love and faith are moved.

The first thing Annie had done was this: she made herself look ugly.
This was not an easy thing; but she had learned a great deal from her
husband, upon the subject of disguises. It hurt her feelings not a
little to make so sad a fright of herself; but what could it matter?--if
she lost Tom, she must be a far greater fright in earnest, than now
she was in seeming. And then she left her child asleep, under Betty
Muxworthy's tendance--for Betty took to that child, as if there never
had been a child before--and away she went in her own "spring-cart" (as
the name of that engine proved to be), without a word to any one, except
the old man who had driven her from Molland parish that morning, and who
coolly took one of our best horses, without "by your leave" to any one.

Annie made the old man drive her within easy reach of the Doone-gate,
whose position she knew well enough, from all our talk about it. And
there she bade the old man stay, until she should return to him. Then
with her comely figure hidden by a dirty old woman's cloak, and her fair
young face defaced by patches and by liniments, so that none might covet
her, she addressed the young man at the gate in a cracked and trembling
voice; and they were scarcely civil to the "old hag," as they called
her. She said that she bore important tidings for Sir Counsellor
himself, and must be conducted to him. To him accordingly she was led,
without even any hoodwinking, for she had spectacles over her eyes, and
made believe not to see ten yards.

She found Sir Counsellor at home, and when the rest were out of sight,
threw off all disguise to him, flashing forth as a lovely young woman,
from all her wraps and disfigurements. She flung her patches on th